The present invention generally relates to items constructed from fabric and, more particularly, to a cover for protective helmets and the like.
As is widely known, protective helmets, such as the helmet 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, are utilized in a variety of activities in order to protect the wearer from head trauma injuries. For example, protective helmets 10 are commonly used by persons engaged in skiing, snowboarding, bicycling, motorcycling, auto racing, football, hockey, and other activities in which there is a reasonably high likelihood of head trauma injuries if the head is not protected in some way.
Although such helmets 10 are designed to protect the wearer""s head in case of an impact, it is not uncommon for such helmets 10 to be decorated on their exterior surfaces in order to have a pleasing appearance or to allow the wearer to be readily identified at a distance. Therefore, although the helmet 10 is designed to absorb the force of an impact in the event of a crash, most owners of helmets 10 do not expect to be involved in such crashes during the normal course of their activities, and therefore they generally desire to keep the helmet 10 in an attractive, unblemished condition. Moreover, many helmets 10 include transparent visors 11 that become opacified if abraded. Such abrasion can interfere with the wearer""s vision, thus becoming a safety hazard. Therefore, it is important to keep the helmet visor 11 unabraded and transparent.
Maintaining the helmet 10 in an unblemished condition is made difficult by the fact that the helmet 10 is rather bulky and is not easily stored during periods of non-use, including transport to and from the activity where the helmet 10 may be required, and during breaks in the activity (during which most wearers do not wish to leave the helmet 10 upon their heads). It has therefore been found that the decorative exterior surface of the helmet 10 will generally become marred and damaged over time due to coming into contact with other objects during such storage and transport. Such damage can also have an effect upon the impact absorption performance of the helmet 10, as well as abrasion of the transparent visor 11 surface. Most manufacturers of helmets 10 caution that the helmet 10 should not be worn if the surface has been damaged, as the structural integrity of the helmet 10 may have been compromised.
Helmet covers are currently used to protect helmets 10 from damage. The known covers, while adequate to protect the helmets 10 from wear and tear, suffer from a number of shortcomings. For example, currently known helmet covers include those made from leather or vinyl, often with a faux-fur or wool lining. These covers are nearly as heavy and as bulky as the helmet 10 they cover and present a storage problem when not in use. Further, these covers are difficult to clean and dry, such that they retain moisture and readily mildew once they become wet.
Nylon helmet covers are not as heavy and/or bulky as their leather and vinyl counterparts, but instead tend to bag around the helmet 10 such that they are readily snagged and torn. Further, a spare motorcycle helmet 10 with a nylon cover has a tendency to flap in the wind, generating a distracting nuisance to the motorcycle operator.
Moreover, none of the above-mentioned helmet covers stretch appreciably and are only more or less form-fitting. The known covers therefore must be tailored to the dimensions and shape of the helmet to which with which they are to be used, and are difficult, if not impossible, to use with non-standard sized or shaped helmets.
There is therefore a need for a lightweight and readily stored form-fitting device which will allow a protective helmet to be transported and stored in a convenience manner while protecting the surface thereof from accidental damage. The present invention is directed towards meeting this need.
The present invention relates to a protective cover for a motorcycle or sports helmet and a method for protecting such a helmet. The method for protecting the helmet includes the steps of first providing an enclosure including a substantially circular material portion having an outer periphery, a hemmed tube portion extending along the outer periphery and having a first open end and a second open end positioned substantially adjacent the first open end, and a drawstring having a first drawstring end and a second drawstring end and extending through the hemmed tube portion. The first and second drawstring ends extend from the respective first and second open ends. The hemmed tube portion defines an opening having a variable size and the size of the opening is inversely related to the extension of the drawstring from the open ends. Next, the size of the opening is increased. Then, a helmet is inserted through the opening into the enclosure, followed by decreasing the size of the opening. Finally, the enclosure is stretched around the helmet such that the enclosure is substantially form fitting to the helmet. Once the helmet is inside the enclosure, the enclosure is adapted to wick moisture away from the helmet.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for storing a helmet. Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.